Heartland Holds First Gen Carnival for Students

Heartland Community College in Normal hosted a gathering to recognize first-generation students and connect them with campus support.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Financial Aid

Heartland Holds First Gen Carnival for Students

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Heartland Community College held its First Gen Carnival on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the Workforce Development Center on its Normal campus. The event was part of a week of activities recognizing first-generation students and linking them to support services.

Why it matters

Heartland defines first-generation students as those whose parents have not earned a bachelor's degree, a group that often navigates college without family experience to draw on. The carnival and its programs aim to connect these students with mentoring, academic help and transfer guidance in the Normal area.

Project RISE is a federally funded program offering peer mentoring, academic assistance, career guidance and transfer help, with the reporting providing no participation figures. The carnival profiles only individual students, so the number of first-generation students served remains unreported.

The players

Heartland Community College

A public two-year college in Normal, Illinois, that runs the First Gen Carnival, Project RISE and several workforce and dual-credit programs.

Maria Abbonato

The assistant director of Project RISE, Heartland's federally funded support program for first-generation students.

Illinois State University

A public four-year university in Normal, Illinois, to which many Heartland students transfer to complete bachelor's degrees.

The details

Students and staff set up booths and shared resources at the carnival, which was held as part of a week recognizing first-generation students. Heartland also highlighted its CollegeNOW dual-credit program for high school students and its Workforce Empowerment Initiative, which offers certificates including one in electric vehicle maintenance and light repair.

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026: First Gen Carnival held at the Workforce Development Center in Normal.
2021: Sara Halder came to Heartland Community College.
May 2026: Julia Lahr graduated from Heartland.
2025: Sara Halder earned her biology degree from Illinois State University.
December 2026: Believe Yayu hopes to finish her studies at Heartland.

Season Trajectory

Project RISE functions as a federally funded campus program aligned with federal first-generation student support efforts such as the TRIO programs. The carnival signals how community colleges in the Normal area are extending that model through peer mentoring and transfer pathways.

First-generation students at Heartland can connect with Project RISE for peer mentoring, academic assistance, career guidance and transfer help. Students interested in dual credit can explore CollegeNOW, and those seeking certificates can look into the Workforce Empowerment Initiative.

The takeaway

Students who are the first in their families to attend college can seek out peer mentors and transfer advisers early, since support programs like Project RISE are designed to help them plan the path from community college to a four-year degree.